Even from the vantage point of an experimental balloon’s camera more than 80,000 feet above the Earth, Baylor University staffer Josh Ward could not foresee how what started as a do-it-yourself hobby project would unlock new avenues of research for Baylor students and private industry.

WACO, Texas (Oct. 25, 2018) - Baylor University today announced a gift of $3.5 million from Mark and Jennifer McCollum of Houston to create the McCollum Family Chair in Data Sciences within Baylor’s nationally ranked School of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS).The gift will serve as a cornerstone upon which growth and development of the University’s initiatives in data sciences will be built, leading to the expansion of Baylor’s service to the surrounding world and providing Baylor undergraduate and graduate students with dynamic opportunities to further their education and open doors to leadership positions in a variety of careers.

Two doctoral candidates in Baylor University’s School of Engineering and Computer Science have been recognized for their composites research by the annual Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) and Automotive Composites Conference & Exhibition (ACCE).